


Cafe Go Fuck Yourself

by SirensInTheDungeon



Category: the raven cycle
Genre: Adam is kind of bossy, Aurora Lynch is a real girl, Boys Kissing Boys, But a loveable dick, Canon Typical Violence, Declan Lynch is a caring brother, I will die on that hill, M/M, Matthew Lynch is a Real Boy, Niall Lynch is still dead, Niall Lynch was murdered but not because he was a dreamer, Ronan Swears, Ronan is a dick, coffee shop AU, mentions of past suicide attempts, probably eventual smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-08-21 01:12:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16566740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirensInTheDungeon/pseuds/SirensInTheDungeon
Summary: “exactly what I said, man. Do you want me to repeat it in Latin? Quod non habes coffee.” The razor-sharp edge of the barista’s words dripped with sarcasm as he raised an eyebrow. Oh, he was an asshole, hot but an asshole. Adam noticed the ratty muscle tee and the five leather bands knotted at the barista’s wrist, that paired with the hooked black ink visible just above his collar and the shaved head made him look dangerous. “Can I get you anything else your majesty?”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello dear readers. I, much like Ronan Lynch, am an Angry Gay™. So I decided that listening to the audiobooks and having read the entire series twice that I would write about my favourite ship. This also came to me after I got a tattoo to represent them. So I hope you enjoy it and things, I've been super busy with school so I don't know if this will be a super regular story. I'm hoping to write more but I don't know if I will have time this month to write often. Thankfully December is the month of freedom so I'll definitely write up a storm then. I also have a Sarchengsey story in the planning process.

            Adam stared at the barista with a clear look of disdain, his messenger bag slung over a weighed down shoulder as he struggled to keep hold of his pile of papers. He had decided to go to the all-night coffee shop just off campus to work but now he was regretting his decision. The barista held so much promise when he walked in, even if he was playing some wretched electronic music that was just on this side of unpleasantly loud even with only having one good ear. He hadn’t smiled or cheerfully greeted Adam in fact he looked displeased to have someone interrupt his night. When the bell had rung over the door, he had heaved a sigh before throwing his worn book onto the counter. It was a farming book which was out of place with the whole aesthetic of the barista. Adam wasn’t going to judge he didn’t exactly look like a guy that would read gay romance novels, but he was, he was going to judge the barista for the words that came out of his mouth though. “What do you mean you don’t have coffee?”

            “exactly what I said, man. Do you want me to repeat it in Latin? Quod non habes coffee.” The razor-sharp edge of the barista’s words dripped with sarcasm as he raised an eyebrow. Oh, he was an asshole, hot but an asshole. Adam noticed the ratty muscle tee and the five leather bands knotted at the barista’s wrist, that paired with the hooked black ink visible just above his collar and the shaved head made him look dangerous. “Can I get you anything else your majesty?”

            “You look like you should be running a gang but instead you’re here running a coffee shop with _no coffee._ So, if you could I don’t know get me coffee so I can sit in the far corner and work on the stack of papers I have to grade that would be a miracle.” Adam had been working himself half to death between his part time job, homework and his work as a TA. He had run out of patience and his southern charm days ago at this point. He needed coffee and he needed it now, hot punk rock barista be damned. He watched as the barista rose from his seat and turned to the espresso bar in one graceful motion, the thin tattered fabric of his muscle tee shifting and bunching with his movements. Adam could see that the tattoo wasn’t just on the back of his neck, but it also looked to span his entire shoulders, he wondered just how large it was. He was tall and muscular, and truly Adam’s type. He was brought back from his thoughts by a large ceramic mug filled with dark liquid.

            “Five shot Americano, it’ll keep you up all fucking night so stop bitching about the lack of coffee. Anything else?” _Ronan_ is what the name tag pinned to the front of the barista’s shirt read as he angrily punched buttons on the register. Adam watched as the total came up on the screen facing him. “That’ll be five bucks with the asshole tax.”

            “Five dollars for an americano! You’re the asshole for charging me extra when you didn’t have coffee!” Adam glared at Ronan and flipped him off before throwing a crumpled ten-dollar bill on the counter between them. He hated him already but that just made him want him more. He knew he was being dramatic, but he was too tired to care. He snatched his change back when Ronan offered it, dropping a tip in the tip jar before he turned to head to his table. “Hopefully that’ll help them train you to make some fucking coffee!”

            Ronan laughed as Adam walked away, his hands clutching his stomach. The laugh was not what Adam would have expected. It was carefree and slightly wild. “Cum iratus es tu bellus!”

            “Latine loqui possum, culus.” Adam called back as he took his seat, his face heating up at being called cute by the punk rock barista, _Ronan_. It wasn’t that Adam was unattractive, he was handsome in his own way, but he had never had someone hit on him openly. Certainly not someone that equally angered and aroused him. He chose to ignore Ronan calling him cute and instead began to focus on his marking, taking sips of bitter espresso as he did. He jerked in surprise an hour later when Ronan dropped a plate of pastries on the table beside his elbow before sinking into the empty chair, kicking his combat boots up on the chair opposite him. “Shouldn’t you be working?”

            “You’re the only freak here this late, so I’m taking a break. How do you know Latin?” Ronan took an almost violent bite of a rustic looking chocolate cookie. The uneven edges of the cookie matched the sharpness of the man currently eating it. He raised an eyebrow when Adam just stared at him with his mouth slightly agape, the blue of his eyes held a look of amusement. He leaned his chin on his closed fist, his elbow resting on the table, waiting for Adam to answer.

            “I’m a linguist, my research focuses on languages that no longer exist for one reason or another. I also took Latin classes in high school. How do you know it?” Adam took a cookie from the plate and broke a piece off before popping it in his mouth. His fingers were long and delicate but calloused from years of hard labour, Ronan wanted to feel them on his skin. He was beautiful in an almost elfish way, his skin and hair the colour of a sepia photo.

            “Latin classes in high school also it’s fun to be able to tell people to go fuck themselves in Latin.” Ronan grinned before taking a drink of Adam’s now tepid Americano. Adam laughed as he made a face of disgusting shoving the offensive drink away from him. “That’s fucking awful what asshole made you that?”

            “Well I would report him to his manager, but it looks like he’s on his break.” Adam rolled his eyes in response to Ronan’s laugh. He went back to his marking, while, trying to ignore Ronan. He sighed when Ronan took the paper he was currently marking to look it over. “I’m trying to do my job? Maybe you could go and do yours before you get in trouble.”

            “I would be impressed if the manager of this place fired the owner, also this paper is shit and you’re going to give them a B+ for it?” Ronan gave him a look like Adam was the stupidest thing he had ever seen. He smirked at the venomous look Adam shot at him. Adam was hot when he was angry, and Ronan would love to get to know him more.

            “I am because I’m not an asshole, plus it’s the first paper of the semester and it’s a first-year class. I’m not going to tear these kids down just because they don’t know how to write an academic paper.” Adam didn’t know why he was explaining this to Ronan, or why he cared enough to defend his motivations from the seriously judgmental barista and yet there he was doing it. He watched as Ronan began to gnaw at one of the leather straps knotted around his wrist, a series of scars were just visible where the bracelets were pulled away from his wrist. His skin was pale around the newly healed skin. Adam caught Ronan’s sneer when he realized that his scars were visible, he shot a dark look at Adam his armour sliding back into place. “I’m not judging you… we all have our scars.”

            “I’m sure a pretty boy like you has plenty of scars.” Ronan practically spit the words coated in venom at Adam. He was on the defense now, he needed to rip Adam apart in order to protect himself. He was sick of being that kid that found his dad murdered, that kid that tried to kill himself because he was gay. He thought he would be safe here, away from Virginia, away from his mother and Matthew even if it killed him to be away from them. Hell, he even missed Declan, even if they didn’t get along all the time Declan still cared for him. He had weekly phone calls with the three of them, mostly to make sure he was still alive and hadn’t ended up in prison yet. He thought he saw a kindred soul in the dusty boy with the Henrietta accent. He had taken his inheritance and ran when he reached the age of eighteen. His mother loved him, and she always would, so did Matthew but he couldn’t stay there anymore. He needed to escape his past, the depression and anxiety. Kavinisky and his racing days, he needed a fresh start. That was barely three years ago, but it had felt like a life time, long enough to forget the hurt. He froze when Adam set a hand over his, meeting Ronan’s eyes with a steady gaze of his own.

            “My dad used to beat me, bad enough that he made me deaf in my left ear, so I know a thing or two about scarring.” Adam frowned when a look of recognition flashed across Ronan’s face. Maybe Ronan had seen him around campus, or maybe by some small impossibility Ronan had seen the news coverage of his dad being sent to prison for his abuse. It wasn’t that often that scandal hit small town Virginia, the only other big news spectacle had been the murder of one Niall Lynch. Adam had only heard about that murder through the bits of news he had heard and the gossip at school. He had overheard whispers about the poor middle son that had discovered Niall Lynch with his skull bashed in, he was almost sure his name had been Ron… or something. Adam had never met him, even if they both lived in Henrietta for such a small town the rich certainly kept themselves separate from the poor, well for the most part.

            “Son of a bitch. You’re Adam Parrish, you fixed my BMW once, I had crashed it during a street race. This was after your case, that bastard deserved more than what he got. God I was still faking it in high school then. You hated the music that was playing when I pulled into the garage. You fucking stole my mix tape, so I couldn’t play it again.”  Ronan’s expression had brightened as he spoke. It was like he was talking to an old friend, like he was just catching up.

            The funny thing was that as he spoke, it brought the memories back to the surface of Adam’s mind. He remembered the grey BMW with its crushed front panel, the horrific electronic music that was blasting over the speakers as it rumbled into the garage. The sneer on the owner’s face as Adam told him to shut that racket off, the way he looked at Adam in awe when he finally met his eyes. The way Ronan looked at Adam with his coveralls knotted around his waist as he inspected the damage, he could feel the heat in his gaze even now. Adam had never met a man that made him feel hot all over with a single look, he had never wanted so badly to please someone and refuse to help them just because he could. He had purposely called Ronan with fake issues for the whole week he worked on the BMW, just so he could hear his gruff voice over the phone telling him to do whatever the fuck he wanted so long as it was fucking fixed. He had spent weeks afterward trying to work up the courage to call him and ask him out after, but he never did. He wasn’t good enough for Ronan, at least he didn’t think he was. He had stolen the tape as a reason to see Ronan again, also as a way to make sure he never had to hear that music again if they did end up dating.

            “I didn’t steal it, I borrowed it hoping I would see you again. It’s a shame you’re such an asshole now.” Adam teased, he felt light knowing Ronan remembered him. He had spent months pining after someone he had only seen in person twice, it had been an embarrassing crush and his best friend Noah had made fun of him endlessly for it. Noah was also just kind of an asshole but in a loveable way, it’s the only reason Adam had spent time with him and Blue Sargent in high school. He used to spend time at Nino’s with Noah while they waited for Blue’s shifts to end, that was until the Raven Boys kind of took over and then they stopped hanging out there, well Noah would sometimes because he was a raven boy after all. Now that he thought of Blue, he had just recently met one of her two boyfriends recently, some politician’s son. She had apparently mentioned his crush on Ronan and the guy knew him. “Wait, you know Blue Sargent. She’s dating that guy, Dick or whatever.”

            “Maggot, what about her?” Ronan had managed to make the word Maggot a term of endearment, it was said with such affection that the word itself had no other meaning than _love_. It was kind of impressive, at the mention of Blue his body language had even changed. He looked more relaxed now, like he was comfortable.

            “I went to high school with her, she was one of my best and only friends. She used to make fun of me for havin’ a crush on you ‘cause you were a dickhead.” Adam’s ears tinged a light shade of pink as he ducked his head, avoiding making eye contact with Ronan. He was embarrassed for admitting that his crush on Ronan was widely known among his small friend group and allowing his carefully covered Henrietta accent to slip out as he did so. A small shiver traced down his spine when Ronan rubbed the tip of his left ear between his fingers which only caused the pink flush to spread to the rest of his face. Teenage Adam would have creamed his pants if Ronan had touched him, adult him was barely any more in control.

            “I wonder just how far this blush would spread.” Ronan’s voice was low and hot as he spoke, it was a mix between a growl and croon. Equal parts smooth seduction and promise of bruises to remind you of it later. There was a challenge in his eyes when Adam finally looked at him. He was daring Adam to kiss him, to make the first move. To take control of the situation. Ronan was strong and fierce, but he was coward when it came to romance and he wanted to romance Adam. To show Adam that he was worthy of care and tender affection. The hesitant press of Adam’s lips against Ronan’s brought colour back to his stormy grey world for the first time since his father’s death. He had always heard of the ‘fireworks’ but he had never thought he would experience them. The noise that Adam made when their lips touched could only be described as relief, as though he was holding his breath and _waiting_ for this. They parted when the bell above the door rang announcing a new customer, Adam smiled at Ronan shyly. Ronan winked at Adam, before shooting a scowl at the new customer. “I should get back to work, I’ll bring you a new drink.”

            Adam watched in amused jealousy as the new customer bat her eyelashes at Ronan and attempted to flirt with him. She was pulling out all the stops, twirling her hair around her finger, pushing her chest out. Adam would never judge a woman for what she wore because he was sure Blue would just know and he would never hear the end of it, but this woman wasn’t dressed for a late-night coffee run. He smirked when Ronan rolled his eyes at one of her more overt plays. She clearly became annoyed when her flirting was ignored, a scowl sliding into place. With a huff she took her coffee and flipped her hair over her shoulder before shooting Ronan an angry look. “What, are you gay?”

            “I am actually, so you can take your drink and get the fuck out of my café and don’t come back.” Ronan crossed his arms over his chest, a sneer on his face. He was sick of girls trying to throw themselves at him, he wasn’t interested and even if he was, he wasn’t Declan. He looked over as Adam approached the counter setting his mug down. Ronan put a charming smile on his face, leaning over the counter to hold Adam’s hand. “I would have had your drink over to you if I wasn’t wasting my time here, babe.”

            “I think you’ll just have to give me a kiss to make up for it.” Adam’s face flushed again as Ronan pulled him in for a kiss, taking hold of Adam’s tie so he couldn’t pull away. Their lips slotted together as though they were made for kissing each other. He let out a playful growl as Adam’s fingers slid over the back of Ronan’s scalp, pulling him impossibly closer. Adam’s tongue slid over the seam of Ronan’s lips, asking for entrance to his mouth. The first touch of their tongues sent fire roaring through Adam’s body, he had kissed plenty of people since starting college, but they had never done this to him. He had never felt like his very soul had caught fire simply from kissing someone before, but he would gladly pretend to be Ronan’s boyfriend more often if it meant he could keep kissing him. A low whine escaped him when Ronan pulled back, breaking the kiss as the girl turned and stormed off.

            “I think I owe you dinner now.” Ronan smiled softly, running a finger over Adam’s lower lip. His eyes followed the trail of his thumb, his lips slightly parted as he watched Adam’s tongue snake out to lick at the pad of his thumb. He was going to be the undoing of Ronan. Adam dipped his head to pull Ronan’s thumb into his mouth, sucking on it lightly. It was obscene without being overtly sexual, it still sent a jolt of fire through Ronan. “Jesus Christ, Parrish, you’re making me want to lock the fucking door.”

            Adam pulled back with a bark of laughter, he couldn’t say why it amused him, but it did. Maybe it was the casual way Ronan said it, like he was talking about the weather just with more swearing. Maybe it was the fact that he was going on eighteen hours with only four hours of sleep the night previous. Whatever it was it set him off and he laughed until he cried. When he finally managed to pull himself together, he looked at Ronan who was shooting him a look of cool judgment mixed with some embarrassment. “Oh god, sorry, sorry. I’m not laughin’ at you. I’m running on four hours of sleep, but I wouldn’t oppose locking the door.”

            “You’re a fucking mess.” Ronan rubbed at his stubbled jaw with a lazy smile. He looked down when Adam took his hand, lacing their fingers. He never wanted Adam to leave, he was something from a dream. He wanted to memorize the shape of his eyes, his nose, his lips, his barely visible eyelashes. The taste of the skin on his jaw, his neck, his chest, and lower. Feel the weight of him on his tongue, the feel of their bodies pressed together. To live with the knowledge that he tore Adam apart at the seams and rearranged him into a happy, loved form. It was as though the very thought forced the breath from his lungs. He eyes followed the path of his hand as Adam lifted it to his lips, pressing tender kisses against the scars on his knuckles. “Fuck, guess I’m stuck with you now, huh?”

            “As long as you’ll have me.” Adam murmured the words against his hand as he flipped it over to press a kiss to his palm. He could feel the hope in his chest at the thought of Ronan wanting him. A complicated look crossed Ronan’s face before a stupid smile spread, it was contagious that smile. He looked less like the punk rock barista Adam had first thought of him as. The smile was dazzling, he was sure it wasn’t something many people saw, and he was honoured to be the person that helped create it. He pressed a soft kiss to the skin of Ronan’s inner wrist, before reluctantly letting his hand go with a yawn. “I need to get some sleep, since someone distracted me from my marking. I’ll give you my number?”

            “I prefer carrier pigeon. I also live in the apartment above here, so you’ll know where to find me.” Ronan laughed when Adam flipped him off in response to his snarky comment, as he grabbed a pen and paper for Adam to Write his number down on. He walked around the counter to stand by Adam, sliding an arm around his waist as he wrote his number down. He pressed a soft kiss to Adam’s temple, smiling when he turned to kiss him properly. They kissed lazily, his fingers running through Adam’s hair, gently tugging to adjust the position of his head. Adam let out a soft sigh when Ronan finally, regretfully, broke the touch of their lips. “Go home, get some sleep. I’ll call you later.”

            “Yessir.” Adam hummed as he pressed one final kiss to Ronan’s lips. He reluctantly packed up his things, taking extra time to make sure he had everything. He left the café, blowing a playfully kiss to Ronan. He felt light as he walked home, a skip in his step. His lips tingling from the memory of Ronan’s. He got ready for bed and fell asleep without a care in the world. His final thought before he slipped into unconsciousness was a hope that this wasn’t all a dream. He hoped that he wouldn’t wake up and find out that he was back in Henrietta, his body sore from another beating, Ronan’s BMW sitting in the garage at Boyd’s. That the entire night had been a coping mechanism created by his brain to deal with the horror of his waking life.

 

_Omnia vincit amor, nos et cedamus amori_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave some love in the comments or with a kudos. Thank you for reading! Chapter two will be up at some point :)
> 
> Quod non habes coffee= I don't have coffee  
> Cum iratus es tu bellus= You're cute when you're angry  
> Latine loqui possum, culus= I can speak Latin, asshole  
> Omnia vincit amor, nos et cedamus amori= Love conquers all things, so we too shall yield to love
> 
> I'm also interested in writing a Maura/Mr. Grey piece because I LOVE THEM. So let me know if anyone is interested in that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! thank you for the Kudos and comments on the first chapter. Here is chapter two. The lyrics at the end of the chapter are from the song Dust to Dust by the Civil wars which I am obsessed with. I have a million assignments due in the next two weeks and instead of working on the assignments I have due I'm writing fan fiction. That's productive right? Before anyone mentions it Yes the overall sound and meaning behind Dust to Dust doesn't really work with the tooth rotting fluff of the story but I love it okay. Also lets be honest Adam and Ronan have both lived lives of intense loneliness in canon and they thrive when they finally let each other in. This is my hill and I will die on it so fight me. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

           Adam woke to the shrilling of his ringtone. He knew it was Noah simply by the bass of the Blink-182 song that had been picked by the man himself. Adam hated Blink-182 almost as much as he hated that stupid Murder Squash song which is the only reason he had conceded to the Blink-182 ringtone. It annoyed him that he was pulled from a dream of the night before. Dream Ronan had just taken his shirt off, of course the waking world had to ruin his dreams. With a groan of frustration he rolled over and pressed his phone to his good ear after accepting the call. His voice was still thick with sleep when he finally spoke. “What d’ya want, Noah?”

            “Good morning sunshine, did I wake you?” Noah chirped, he was annoyingly cheerful. This shouldn’t be a surprise though he never had to struggle a day in his life. The thought was bitter as it flitted through Adam’s brain. It was unfair to Noah to think so bitterly of him in the morning. He had offered Adam a place to stay after he charged Robert. He had been there for every moment of the trial. Had even protected him from the cruelty of the Raven Boys. He hadn’t even been offended when Adam had chosen to stay at 300 Fox Way instead. He was a great friend and an even better person.

            “You did. I made out with Ronan Lynch last night in his coffee shop, so it was a late night.” Adam mumbled into his pillow with a yawn, pulling the phone away from his ear when Noah screamed in response to the news. He should have told him over text instead at least he wouldn’t have had to hear Noah scream like a teenage girl. Plus, he was going to have to endure their group chat being flooded with questions after Noah reveals his secret. “M’already deaf in one ear. I don’t need to lose my hearin’ in the other.”

            “I’m sorry, you kissed RONAN LYNCH. No, you _made out_ with him and you expect me to be _CALM?!_ ” Noah scoffed in disbelief. He was a dramatic person by nature. Adam can’t even count on his hands the number of times Noah said his life was over when he was rejected in high school. It was part of the reason the three of them worked so well as a group. Where Blue and Adam were for the most part calm and rational, Noah had been all over the place. He had once gone on a rant about making a fried chicken place called Chicken Out. It had been a ridiculous over the top idea but the way he had lit up while talking about it made Blue and Adam both believe that he could do it. “Does Blue know? I know her, Gansey and Cheng are back in Venezuela now but, she would want to hear it from you.”

            “I haven’t yet. I’ll tell her through the group chat. I’m sure she’ll be over the moon.” Adam sat up deciding that it would be useless to try and fall asleep again when he finally hung up with Noah. He allowed his focus to drift as he listened to Noah talk about the happenings in Henrietta. A memory of Ronan from the night before taking over the majority of his thoughts before something in the back of his mind pinged that the information Noah was passing on was important. He focused his attention fully on Noah again. “M’sorry I didn’t quite get that.”

           “Well! Mr. G has apparently successfully put a baby in Maura, which is an image I didn’t need in my head but it’s there anyway! Blue told me the news last night, probably when you were making out with Ronan Lynch and not telling us.”  Noah mumbled the last part with a pout as though Adam not telling him about kissing Ronan as it was happening was a betrayal of the highest order. As though it was more important than the fact that Maura Sargent, one of many women that helped support Adam after he escaped the abuse at the trailer was pregnant and he was finding out through Noah. He was going to have make a special trip back to Henrietta just to meet the baby when it was born, and to see Noah who was still living there. “Adam, I gotta go. I’ll call you again later.”

           “Of course, have a nice day Noah and try not to set anything on fire today.” Adam hung up before Noah could respond. He always loved bringing up the day Noah managed to set the kitchen at 300 Fox Way on fire while trying to boil water for tea. How the women of Fox Way had not seen that coming from a mile away was beyond him. It was almost like Noah was a blank spot in their psychic vision. He began to get ready for his class that morning. As he went about his morning routine he replayed the memories of the night before over and over again. The way Ronan’s lips had felt pressed against his, smooth skin of his hands a contrast to the rough texture of Adam’s. The smell of the coffee on his clothing. The little moans and growls that escaped him depending on how Adam kissed him. The blue of his eyes darkened in desire. He was already so far gone for Ronan, it was a problem. Just the thought of him made his stomach flip and his pulse quicken.

           Just as he stepped out of his apartment his phone rang with an unknown number flashing on the screen. It was local but that never meant very much. He was often being called by students or other linguistic professors asking for some help with something. As a linguistics student he was trying to get as much experience working with the professors as possible; often taking on extra work researching a topic for them if they were too busy. He was only supposed to be working with Mrs. Carters as she was going to be his thesis supervisor in the fall. Thankfully she turned an eye to all of his extra work so long as he met his deadlines. He pressed the phone to his good ear. His carefully controlled accent was back in place now that he was fully awake. “You’ve reached Adam Parrish. How can I help you?”

           “So formal Parrish, is this how you always talk to people you’ve played tonsil hockey with?” Ronan’s voice was razor sharp even through the phone but, Adam could hear the smile behind it. If he closed his eyes he could see Ronan sitting somewhere with his dirty boots probably kicked up on a table in defiance, or maybe he would be laying shirtless in bed. A sharp smirk on his face, his pale skin marred by dark stubble and bruises left by Adam’s mouth. It was a fantasy version of Ronan so Adam could leave all the marks he wanted in his mind. A twinkle of mischief in his blue eyes. He was such a shithead, yet Adam couldn’t help the swell of joy he felt at hearing Ronan’s voice.

           “You’re such a shithead and I regret every moment of it.” Adam’s reply was lazy, not a hint of truth tinging the words. He could hear Ronan’s quiet laughter as he crossed the road to his shit box of a car. He only really drove it when he had too much to carry or he was going to be late like he was today. Thankfully he had learned in his time attending post-secondary that no one cared if you were late, and if they did, they wouldn’t comment if the student had the highest grades in the program. He was technically in his third year of university but through sheer hard work and his usual stubborn demeaner he was set to graduate at the end of December and was already accepted into the Masters program for the fall. That gave him enough time off to find an entry level job into the field and visit Henrietta while still maintaining his work for the language department. “Took you long enough to call me. My friend Noah lost his mind when I told him that we kissed.”

           “No shit you know Czerny? That fucker, shit we must know all the same people.” Ronan chuckled warmly. He was currently nested in his bed staring at a cup of coffee sitting on his nightstand. He had stayed awake so he could call Adam at a reasonable time instead of waking him up. Hoping that his voice would lull him into sleep. It had been years since he’s had a nightmare or even dreamed but that hadn’t made it easier for him to fall asleep. The fear was always thrumming under the surface that he would dream of finding his dad’s body, of Matthew being kidnapped by Kavinsky. A smile had been plastered on his face all night after Adam left the café, obvious enough that his morning employee had asked about it. He had of course told her to fuck off which was taken in stride. “How did I only meet you the once. If Noah wasn’t with Maggot in high school, he was with me and Dick.”

           “I avoided Aglionby students like the black death. If I had known Noah had known you, I would have probably tagged along just to see you.” Adam struggled to get the door of his car open with the phone firmly wedged between his shoulder and his ear. He cursed when he dropped his keys, letting out an annoyed sound before leaning down to get them. “I really want to keep talking to you Ronan but, I have to get to class and I’m already going to be late.”

           “Why don’t you skip and come to my place? I can call down to the café and have them let you up through the backroom. I’m sure you’re already top of your fucking class or some shit. You deserve a morning spent kissing in my bed.” Ronan’s voice was low as he spoke, it was enough to set a small fire in Adam’s stomach warming him all the way through. It was a tempting offer, enough so that he was seriously considering it. He hadn’t missed a single class this semester. He sighed when he realized he was going to do it. He was going to let Ronan convince him. “You know you want to Parrish, I’ll even leave my room to make you a coffee.”

           “Or I could bring coffee up from the café.” Adam chewed on his lip, as he finally unlocked his car door and climbed in. He tossed his school bag in the back seat before starting the car as he waited for Ronan to talk. He was anxious about missing class but, he also really wanted to see Ronan again. He could do this. He was ahead in everything; top of his class and he had no meetings today. He deserved a break.

           “Holy shit, seriously? I thought it would take more to convince you. Yeah that sounds great. I’ll call down right now and let them know that you’ll be showing up and to give you whatever the hell you want before letting you up. I’ll see you when you get here.” Ronan sounded as though Adam had just told him he won the lottery. The excitement in his voice was endearing. He scrambled out of bed after hanging up, realizing that he needed to tidy up before Adam arrived. He also wasn’t quite sure how to explain the presence of a raven in his house. He stopped to run his fingers over Chainsaw’s feathers before continuing on his mission to tidy up. He shoved piles of clothes both dirty and clean into his closet before forcing the doors to shut. He had always been a bit of a mess it was part of his chaotic nature but now he really regretted putting off cleaning up for so long. Just as he was finishing the last of the dishes there was a soft knock on his door. “It’s open!”

            “I was expecting black walls and the blood of your enemies.” Adam teased as he looked around the apartment holding the tray of coffee in one hand as he carefully took his shoes off. He smiled at Ronan warmly when he rounded the corner from the kitchen, his heart skipping a beat when he took in the sight of him shirtless. His gaze followed the curve of Ronan’s collar bone stopping at the surprising glint of a nipple piercing before continuing on down his torso. It lingered on the dusting of hair that led from his navel to the waist of his pajama pants. “ _Shit_ , have you slept at all since I saw you at the café last night?”

            “Nah. You’re worth it though.” Ronan took the tray from Adam and set it on the entry way table before pulling him in for a kiss. The first touch of Adam’s lips woke him up more than any cup of coffee could. His mouth tasted like coffee and a bit like toothpaste. His colds hands settled on Ronan’s sides as he leaned into the kiss pulling a hiss of surprise from him. A soft moan escaped Adam when Ronan pulled his bottom lip into his mouth gently worrying it between his teeth. His hands worked on unzipping Adam’s coat and sliding it off his shoulders before carelessly tossing it towards the couch. He reluctantly broke the kiss leaning his forehead against Adam’s when his body decided it couldn’t survive without oxygen much longer, the fucking traitor. “Good morning. Do you have any plans for later today?”

            “I have to call Blue and then her mom to congratulate her on her pregnancy. Other than that, I don’t have anything planned.” Adam lifted his hand to Ronan’s face. He traced the line of his cheekbone followed by the line of his jaw and then finally the shape of his lower lip before pressing a soft kiss to each spot. He was torn between wanting to kiss Ronan until they become one person and wanting to trace the lines of his body so he could commit them to memory. Ronan turned his head to kiss Adam’s palm. “Let me call Blue and then I’ll take you to bed.”

            “If you called her from my phone she would lose her shit. If you called her while we were laying in my bed it would be even better.” Ronan grinned at Adam mischievously. He led Adam to his bedroom the coffee forgotten in the entry way. When they entered the room, Chainsaw squawked at them startling Adam. Ronan didn’t think he was afraid of her just surprised by her presence. He raised a single barely visible eyebrow at Ronan in question. He was pretty sure the look on his face conveyed the question of why Ronan had a wild animal in his bedroom.  “Ah shit. This is my raven Chainsaw. I’ve had her since high school.”

            “Hello Chainsaw. I thought the only wild animal in the bedroom would be Ronan.” Adam made his way over to her perch to stroke her feathers. He had never been this close to a raven before let alone able to touch it. A small smile formed on his lips as he talked to her in low tones as he complimented her feathers and how calm she was. Ronan was pretty sure he heard the words pretty bird leave Adam’s mouth followed by a bit of a disgruntled noise from Chainsaw. He hummed softly when Ronan wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him against him. “There’s the wild animal I was expecting.”

            “Shut the fuck up, Parrish.” Ronan pressed a series of kisses to the side of Adam’s face sliding his cellphone into his hand. While Adam dialed Blue’s number, he busied himself slipping his hands under the front of Adam’s shirt and up to his chest. His touch was feather light and exploratory. There was no real urgent heat to it. A slow smile spread across Adam’s face as he leaned back into Ronan, his head resting on his shoulder. “Hey Blue, no it’s not Ronan. It’s Adam I’m just using his phone. I kissed him last night and now I’m spending the day with him.”

            “You kissed Ronan Lynch. Are you still alive? Because I remember a certain talk we had in high school that involved you proclaiming that if your lips ever touched you would die.” Blue loved to tease him about that night. It was one of the rare occasions that Adam had been able to relax between school and his numerous part time jobs. She had been worried about him in high school more so when he had moved into 300 Fox Way and refused to stay there for free. He had paid minimal rent sure but, he was always making up for it by buying groceries or fixing things around the house. Adam had never had the chance to be free and happy until that night. So, they had allowed Noah to talk them into getting drunk. He had been a bit of a mess and ended up drunk before he really realized how much the alcohol was affecting him. As such he had talked more freely than he usually did. He had revealed more of the abuse he had suffered at his father’s hands. Had talked about once having a crush on Blue and Noah at the same time and how it had changed when he realized that they were his family. He had gone on for an embarrassingly long time about how badly he wanted something to happen to Ronan’s car so he could see him again. He had even revealed and gone into great detail about a steamy dream he had of Ronan which was when Noah and Blue decided it was time to pull the plug on their night of fun. “Do I need to ask Ronan to check for a pulse?”

            “Do you really wanna ask Ronan to do that? I think he can feel my heartbeat with his hands up my shirt right now. I’m sure if you asked he would just make it sexual.”  Adam laughed when Ronan rubbed his stubble against his neck, his strong hands splayed across his chest. Talking to Blue on the phone had always made his Henrietta accent slip out. Ronan shivered against his back lightly at the slow almost lazy cadence of his voice. He knew Ronan could feel the climb of his heart rate at being so close to him. It wasn’t even an arousal thing really it was just a side effect of how deliriously happy being close to Ronan made him. He was also happy to hear Blue’s voice after weeks of intermittent texting because of the spotty reception in Venezuela and his busy schedule. “Noah screamed when I told him ‘bout the kiss. Congratulations on the sibling by the way, I’m sure Dean is over the moon right now. It feels weird using his name after all these years of callin’ him Mr. Grey ‘cause of your mom.”

            “Yea, it’s why I just call him dad. Also, thanks, Persephone said it’s going to be a little boy. Calla said she’s too old to be dealing with the little shit already. I think that means he’s going to be loud kind of like you and Gansey are. Mom hasn’t said much yet, I don’t think she saw this happening.” Blue’s voice was wistful, Adam could hear the homesickness in her voice. She missed her roots and often talked about it when she was unable to sleep usually with Noah via the group chat. Noah was a great cheer leader. He would remind her that she’s growing new branches and saving the world by being with Gansey and Henry in Venezuela. “Gansey and Henry proposed to me last night. I told them I would give them my answer when we get back to Henrietta.”

           “That’s a lot of life changes in a short time.” Adam hummed softly as Ronan kissed his shoulder. He felt the vibration of whatever Ronan said against his skin, but he couldn’t quite hear the words with the phone against his good ear. He turned his head to look at him, grinning at the pout on his face. “I think I have to go. Ronan is pouting.”

           “ _Oh,_ I’ll let you two get to know each other better then. I’ll talk to you later.” Blue hung up just as Gansey and Henry shouted their goodbyes. I’ll talk to you later had become Noah and Blue’s way of saying goodbye because they hated the finality of it. They also used it in place of the heavily implied I love you’s that always made Adam slightly uncomfortable. Blue and Noah were affectionate friends and due to his life before them Adam had trouble returning it. He could return to physical affection now after years of getting used to it. He even enjoyed the hugs and the occasional cuddles. The verbal stuff was still a sticking point for him because sure physical wounds hurt but verbal ones stuck in his mind. He knew logically that Blue and Noah did care about and even love him but, he couldn’t return it because the people that were supposed to love him had done nothing but hurt him. When he was still living at the trailer, he would replay every horrible thing his father said to him and every moment of blame his mother placed on him. Even during nightmares he was more likely to hear the words that brought nothing but shame and self-hatred to his teen years than the actual acts of violence.

           Adam smiled at Ronan before setting his phone on the nightstand. He carefully turned in his arms so he was facing him. He lifted his hands to caress Ronan’s jaw before tenderly pressing a kiss against his lips. Adam would never admit it this soon but, he felt safe here in Ronan’s arms. A smile spread across Ronan’s face as he kissed him back. They were already so far gone for each other. It was as though their bodies vibrated on the same frequencies, a magnetic current that drew them to each other. A song that was sung only for them. He had always teased Blue about her belief in true love and soulmates. He had even internally rolled his eyes when she said that Gansey was her soulmate but now he could understand. It was as though he could sink into Ronan’s very being with nothing but a touch of their lips. A shaky sigh escaped him when Ronan pressed a gently kiss against the tender skin beneath his jaw. “I think we can lay down now. You definitely need to get some rest.”

           “Fine, but only because you told me to.” Ronan murmured softly before leading Adam to his bed. He carefully tugged Adam’s sweater off before sliding into bed and holding the covers up for him. “C’mon, Parrish. I don’t have all damn day”

           Adam rolled his eyes before sliding under the covers and allowing Ronan to wrap him in his arms. He lightly pressed a kiss to his collarbone before pillowing his head on Ronan’s bicep. His hands slowly slid up and down Ronan’s spine soothingly. Adam listened to his breathing slow and even out as he fell asleep. With one final kiss to the hollow at the base of Ronan’s throat he closed his eyes and floated into unconsciousness.

_You've held your head up_  
You've fought the fight  
You bear the scars

_…_

_You’ve been lonely too long_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all have to know the drill by now. Kudos, comment and send me some love dammit. Chapter three will be up as soon as I have time to write it and figure out where I'm going with the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers! I'm finally finished school for the semester but now I have to deal with my mother's numerous health issues so posting might be a bit sparse or it might updated often as a way to escape.
> 
> You know the deal leaves kudos and comments to let me know you like it. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

            Ronan was not only a bed hog but also a human octopus. He was currently curled around Adam with their legs tangled together beneath the blankets. Unfortunately, the position they were in put Adam at the very edge of the bed dangerously close to falling off and probably taking Ronan with him. Despite feeling uncomfortable Adam would never have it any other way. He was beyond overjoyed waking up in Ronan’s arms. For the first time in years he felt warm and content and honestly he wouldn’t have it any other way. He pressed feather light kisses down the side of Ronan’s face. “Ronan. As much as I love this, I’m going to fall off the bed.”

            “That sounds like a complaint, Parrish.” Ronan smiled softly as he cracked an eye open to look at Adam, pulling him impossibly closer. He tilted his head down to kiss Adam slowly working his hands into his hair. His hair was downy soft on his fingers a welcome contrast to the rail thin body pressed against him. Adam’s body melted into him as he returned the kiss, a small gasp escaping him when Ronan rocked against his thigh. He had woken up hard and the friction was delicious. The gasp allowed Ronan access to the wet heat of Adam’s mouth. The kiss turned into something sloppier and more heated when they shifted so their hips were pressed together. A low growl bubbled in Ronan’s chest when Adam rocked his hips up into Ronan’s sending a shot of pleasure up his spine. He wasn’t a virgin by any means but, it had been a while since the last time he was intimate. “ _Fuck_. We need—we need to slow down.”

            “What if I don’t want to? We’re both adults Ronan we can date and still fool around.” Adam’s pupils were blown wide with heated desire and his voice was already wrecked. He leaned in to teasingly lick at Ronan’s bottom lip sliding his hands up his bare chest. It was warm and comfortable in Ronan’s bed, it pushed him to feel bolder. To say things he would normally be too polite or shy to say. Things that caused a flush to spread across his cheeks and tint the tips of his ears. “M’not gonna make you do anything you don’t want. But I do want you, Ronan.”

            “Adam.” Ronan said his name like a prayer. It held so much in such a small insignificant combination of letters. A shudder went through his body at the sound. It felt like he was being ripped apart at the seams and rearranged into someone worthy of Ronan’s worship. Ronan’s eyes held a complicated expression, one that forced Adam to see himself as someone worthy. He had never really seen himself as handsome because he was always just trailer trash. He was the colour of the dirt he came from and yet here was Ronan Lynch. A man that was born to be a prince among men and to never struggle looked at Adam like he held the answers to the universe. He looked at Adam like he was _someone_. The thought caused tears to well in Adam’s eyes. He furiously tried to blink them away as Ronan took his face in his hands. “Hey, what are you crying about? Is this too much?”

            “It—it’s not you Ronan, you’re perfect. I’ve just never been looked at the way you look at me.” Adam leaned into Ronan’s touch. He closed his eyes as Ronan brushed a tear away from his eyelashes. It was such a gentle touch as though he was afraid that he would break Adam. That was probably a fair fear to have considering the fact that Adam looked as though he would float away with a strong wind. Even though he was no longer lacking in the money department and he no longer had to skip meals to make ends meet he was still rail thin. A laugh bubbled out of his chest when Ronan kissed his nose. For the moment the tears seemed to have been kept at bay which was a relief. “You’re surprisingly tender and gentle.”

            “I’m a fucking teddy bear, Parrish.” Ronan smiled at Adam softly, brushing his thumbs across his cheekbones. The dusting of freckles across his cheeks were like constellations in the sky. Ronan wanted to trace them and commit the shapes to memory. A small smile spread across Adam’s face. The smile set a metric fuck-ton of butterflies free in Ronan’s stomach. He wondered if this is what his father had felt like when he saw his mother. If this is what Declan feels when he looks at his girlfriend of the month, actually no that would imply that Declan cared about them. Whatever it was it was new to Ronan. He had never felt this way about any of the other guys he had kissed or even looked at. If he wasn’t careful he would say something stupid and embarrassing. “I never want you to leave.”

            “I never want to leave.” Adam leaned closer his words ghosting over Ronan’s mouth. The truth of his words rang through his soul. He could feel it in the very hollows of his bones. A gasp escaped him when Ronan pulled him into a heated kiss. He reluctantly pulled back to push Ronan onto his back before straddling him. Ronan let out a surprised laugh before sitting up to kiss him again, his hands settling on Adam’s ribs. The kisses were slower now as the reality of their situation settled in. They were jumping in feet first without thinking of if they were going to work. He could hear Blue’s voice in his head telling him that he’s thinking about it too much. He can hear Noah screaming that he’s already picked out wedding colours and it’s too late to get a refund. Adam knew deep down that he was all in on this. “Come back to Henrietta with me for December break.”

            “Fuck yes.” Ronan’s answer was immediate. He had no hesitation or worry this is what he wanted. He wanted to go back to Henrietta with Adam and introduce him to Aurora and Matthew. Hell even Declan. Aurora and Matthew were going to love him. They were going to be so happy that someone finally convinced Ronan to come home. That someone finally made him happy. He wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of his time in Henrietta Aurora told him to marry Adam before he got away. Matthew would probably give him if you hurt my brother I’ll hurt you speech which would be mismatched to his cherubic appearance. “My family is going to love you.”

            “My family is going to love you too. You already know Blue.” Adam rested against Ronan, his head tucked into the crook of his neck. He could only imagine how Ronan would react to the chaos of 300 Fox Way let alone how he would get along with the women there. Calla would be over the moon to have a new person to argue with. The only problem was Orla who Adam was no doubt going to have to beat off with a stick to keep her away from Ronan. He hummed as Ronan wrapped his arms around him with a light kiss to his temple. Adam laughed when his stomach decided to announce its hunger to the room at large. “You’re starving your boyfriend. I’m sure Chainsaw is better taken care of.”

            “Boyfriend huh?” Ronan pressed a kiss to the top of Adam’s hair. He liked the sound of the word _boyfriend_ even if it was juvenile. He chuckled when Adam’s stomach loudly growled again. He was going to have to feed him, if Aurora saw Adam right now she would be horrified at how thin he was. She had always made sure that Ronan, Matthew and Declan were well fed. When Niall was murdered she had spent days cooking to keep her mind off of it because she hadn’t wanted to admit that it was true. It was the first fist fight between Declan and Ronan that broke her out of her denial. It was also the first time they had ever heard her raise her voice and swear. After that day the fights between Declan and Ronan were few and far between. After he realized just how much fighting with Declan had hurt her Ronan learned how to cook from Aurora because he wanted to be close to her. Most of the recipes for the Café were actually Aurora’s. “What do you want to eat? We have an entire café of baked goods downstairs or I can cook us something. I promise it’ll be edible.”

            “I’m not picky.” Adam reluctantly moved off of Ronan and stood up. As he stretched Ronan sat up and playfully pressed kisses along the patch of exposed midriff, his hands holding onto his hips. His stubble light scratched against the sensitive skin of Adam’s stomach. The sensitive skin turned a lovely shade of red from the drag of the stubble. His hand dropped down to caress the back of Ronan’s head the short hairs rasping against his fingertips. His freehand traced the barbed ink that curled along Ronan’s shoulder. He was ravenously hungry but a different sort of hunger settled low in his stomach when Ronan nuzzled at the trail of hair beneath his belly button. It was enough to make his knees weak when his tongue lazily followed the line of hair to the waist of Adam’s pants. “Ronan, I’m really hungry.”

            “It’s not my fault you’re so fucking tempting.” Ronan’s voice was rough as he gently pushed Adam out of reach before standing up scrubbing a hand over his face. He took a steadying breath before smiling. He laced his fingers with Adam’s, leading him out to the kitchen. He felt more than saw Adam startle when Chainsaw took flight and landed on his shoulder, carefully beginning to preen the mess of hair above his ear. He smiled softly as he watched them for a moment. “the brat likes you. She has good taste.”

            “I’m flattered?” Adam reached up and gently stroked the feathers on Chainsaw’s neck with his free hand. He really was flattered that she liked him it was just strange to be groomed by a Raven. Especially when it’s your boyfriend’s Raven and you just met it. He watched as Ronan began to cook for them. His focus was razor sharp only broken when he set scraps on the counter for Chainsaw and had to tell her multiple times to eat before physically taking her off of Adam. She had let out an indignant cry of _Kerah_ before being distracted by the scraps of food. “I see she takes after you.”

            “She’s a brat. Matthew found her in one of our barns. I raised her because Matthew had to focus on school and Declan told me I couldn’t. My mom already knew that school was a lost cause so she didn’t push me to go.” Ronan absently stroked the feathers on Chainsaw’s neck as he watched the food cook. Declan had told him she wouldn’t make it because Ronan couldn’t even take care of himself properly which at the time had been true. He had been a mess who was either drinking or racing if he wasn’t attempting suicide. It could be argued that the racing and drinking were already suicide attempts. Having Chainsaw and being told he couldn’t do it had actually pushed him into being more responsible and less of a shit head. Even if he and Declan fought all the time back then it was only because Declan didn’t hold back when it came to Ronan. He saw no reason to sugar coat his disappointment in his younger brother and the example he was setting for Matthew. Sure he was a lying politician but he never lied to Ronan about how he felt about him. He hadn’t even lied about why Niall had died like Aurora had tried to do to protect him. His father had been killed because he was a scumbag. A great father and husband but a bad person. A person that stole antiques and sold them to people that would kill him for fucking up and that’s exactly what had happened.

            He had ripped off the wrong person and put not only himself but his family in danger. If the person that murdered him had wanted to they could have easily went into the house and killed the rest of the family. Ronan had struggled with it a lot when Declan had first told him the truth. It had been a contradiction to the hero worship he felt for Niall Lynch. He had even been disappointed in Aurora for continuing to stay with someone that put them in so much danger but, she had loved him more for who he was than what he did. After his final suicide attempt Aurora forced him into therapy where he not only came to terms with his father’s death but also his own sexuality. That’s when he had decided to leave Henrietta and start over somewhere else. Leaving had actually brought him and Declan closer. Even if he pretended to hate the weekly phone calls he loved them just as much as he loved hearing from his mom and Matthew. He jerked away in surprise when Adam touched him pulling him out of his thoughts. “Sorry, I was just thinking about home.”

            “It’s okay, I just didn’t want you to burn the food.” Adam smiled playfully taking Ronan’s hand in his own. He recognized the far-off look that came from reliving past trauma it was why he had pulled Ronan out of his thoughts. Nothing could be worse than being stuck in the cycle of the past. The pain and hurt constantly washing over you. He chuckled when Ronan struggled to stir the food with only one hand a litany of swear words escaping him when he ended up making a mess. “I’m testing your cooking skills now. I will only be impressed if you can do it one handed.”

            “I can do plenty of things with one hand.” Ronan wiggled his eyebrows at Adam suggestively a smirk on his face. He lifted their joined hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to Adam’s knuckles before turning the stove off. After letting go of Adam’s hand he began to dish out the food he had made. It smelled delicious and contained a surprising amount of vegetables. “Go sit at the table. Do you want coffee?”

            “Please.” Adam sat down at the dining room table. He watched as Ronan plated the food and set them on the table before pouring them each a cup of coffee. He mentally traced the sharp black lines of Ronan’s tattoo. His lips tingled with the desire to press a kiss to the Celtic knot between his shoulder blades. He would never grow old of staring at Ronan. He wanted to know every mannerism and movement. He wanted to know the way his face changed when he felt strong emotions. He couldn’t wait to see Ronan around his family. He wanted to see Ronan in the kitchen making breakfast every day. He wanted this moment to last forever. As Ronan set Adam’s coffee in front of him he pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “You’re too sweet to me, Ronan Lynch.”

 

 _High above, the stress of the city_  
Away from everything  
High enough, to make you feel like it's  
All alright, we are all alright  
Just follow me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics at the end of this chapter are from Ward Thomas-- Where The Sky Is.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers! I finally finished this chapter, I experienced a bit of writers block but I got through it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! and happy holidays!

            The morning that Ronan and Adam left for Henrietta from Cambridge was full of anxious energy. They were taking the BWM despite Adam’s protest and eventual acceptance with the condition that he paid for half of the snacks and half of the gas. This was met with Ronan calling him a shithead before agreeing to the condition. They were on the last half hour of their trip with Adam’s hand resting on top of Ronan’s on the gearshift, his head turned to study the profile of Ronan’s face. The last month had been a whirlwind romance for them. If he wasn’t working or in class he was at Ronan’s apartment or at the café. Ronan had even taught him how to use the espresso machine and steam milk so he could make his own drinks when he was grading. He had joked that Ronan was just trying to hire him without telling him. In the last week alone Ronan had cleaned a drawer out for him so he could leave clothes there for nights he stayed over. “You’re so pretty.”

            “Are you high, Parrish? Did you meet someone in the bathroom back at the last rest stop? What did I tell you about talking to strangers?” Ronan glanced over at Adam with one perfect eyebrow raised. Despite the gruff tone of his words a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth while a light blush bled across his pale skin. He tried to deny it but he loved when Adam was sappy with him. He knew that it didn’t come easy for Adam after growing up in an abusive home. He didn’t even tell his best friends that he loved them. The only person he had heard Adam say he loved aside from Ronan had been Maura Sargent and that was only after she said it first. “Or are you that excited about being home in Henrietta?”

            “With you. I’m back home in Henrietta with you.” Adam reached over and brushed the back of his fingers against Ronan’s cheek before resting his hand on the back of his neck. He could feel his body relax when they reached the edge of Henrietta. He was home with the person he loved, to see his family. It had been almost a year since he had last seen Blue and four months since he had last seen everyone else. He closed his eyes listening to Ronan hum along to the beat of the song on the radio. It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when he heard Ronan say his name. When he opened his eyes he realized that they were parked outside of 300 Fox Way. “Oh, I didn’t mean to doze off.”

            “You barely slept, it’s fine.” Ronan pressed a kiss to Adam’s knuckles before getting out of the car and going around to open the passenger door. The door at the top of the porch opened and revealed a woman with billowy white hair and black eyes. She looked surreal surrounded by the normalcy of the rest of the street in her frilly frock. She turned to announce their presence before flouncing down the steps to greet Adam.

            “Adam. The colours Noah chose for your wedding are perfect. They will look lovely with Ronan’s skin tone.” Persephone turned her gaze on Ronan. He felt as though she was peering into his soul. As though she knew every single thought he had ever had. It caused an uncomfortable itching under his skin and if he wasn’t with Adam he would have already left. She tilted her head when she met Ronan’s eyes. He was going to have nightmares about those eyes. “You and Calla are going to get along swimmingly, come inside we have drinks.”

            “Are the rest of them going to be this weird?” Ronan watched as Persephone went back inside before turning to raise an eyebrow at his boyfriend.  A blush coloured Adam’s normally dusty appearance. It was one of Ronan’s favorite things when Adam blushed. He let himself be led inside when it became clear that they couldn’t avoid it any longer. “So Czerny already has our wedding colours picked out?”

            “Shut up, Lynch.” Adam bumped their shoulders together as they climbed the steps of 300 Fox Way. As they made it closer to the door they could hear the voices of everyone inside. It was comforting to Adam to hear the mingled voices. To hear the sounds of his family. He knocked on the edge of the doorframe before walking in, an old habit that had carried over from his youth. He kicked his shoes off moments before Blue launched herself at him and hugged him around the waist. She seemed even smaller than he remembered which he knew wasn’t possible. He was simply used to being surrounded by full size humans. “Blue Sargent you scared the shit out of me!”

            “You’ll get over it, I missed you!” Blue smiled up at him. Her hair was longer than when he had last seen her but it was still pinned up with a plethora of mismatched pins. He was surprised by just how tanned she had gotten during her time in Venezuela. When she stepped back from the hug he caught sight of the ring on her finger. It was a simple gold band beautiful in an understated way. “I said yes, Gansey cried and Henry cheered.”

            “Congratulations, has Noah also picked your wedding colours or is that something he’s only done for my very new relationship?” The moment Noah’s name passed his lips the man in question came bounding down the stairs to pull Adam into an all-encompassing hug. For all of the complaints Adam made about Noah’s near blinding cheer he would never trade him for another person. Sure he was overeager and apparently picking wedding colours for a wedding that was still probably years off in the horizon but, he was doing it out of love. He wanted his best friend to be happy and loved. It was a carry-over from the years of abuse that he had to silently watch happen to Adam. He would give anything to see him happy and loved. “I’ve missed you too Noah.”

            “Adam Parrish, you beautiful man I’ve missed you!” Noah pulled back to take a good look at his face. It was still the same face that he used to see covered in bruises in high school but now it was happier. He no longer looked like he was working himself to death. There was even the beginning hint of a fullness to his cheeks. It was as though Adam was finally being fed. No doubt that was thanks to the baked goods mentioned in the five-star yelp reviews of Cabeswater Café. Of course even if the reviews were all five-stars they still mentioned the surly owner who would tell people to fuck off if they pissed him off enough. His eyes zeroed in on the dark purple love bite just at the edge of Adam’s collar. He grinned and poked it. “Kinky, I always thought Lynch was a biter just because of his oral fixation. Speaking of, Ronan Lynch you’re still as bald as the day you were born I see.”

            “Go fuck yourself, Czerny.” Ronan snarked as he allowed Noah to pull him into a hug. They were close enough friends during their Aglionby days for Noah to know why Ronan kept his head shaved. He knew how much it hurt to see Niall Lynch staring back in the mirror when he was never coming back. Ronan would never admit it out loud but he actually missed seeing Noah. They used to get into all kinds of trouble together including Noah allowing Ronan to throw him out of a second storey window and onto a mattress that was waiting down below. Noah and Gansey had been the only good influences on his life when he was going through his rebellious phase. The only people that had supported him when Aurora had sent him to therapy and forbade him from seeing Kavinsky. He owed them his life just as much as he owed it to his family. “What have you been up to you shithead?”

            “Well I’ve opened up a wedding planning business and your mom has been letting me use The Barns as a venue so that’s been fun. The colours I picked out for your wedding which you can’t deny because the lovely women of this house already saw it are going to look great. We’re obviously going to use The Barns, you’re going to love it.” Noah ducked before Ronan could get him in a headlock. It was impressive to see honestly, he managed to duck midsentence and run off while still sharing the wedding plans with the future-grooms. He darted down the halls of the house. “Love you both and I’ll see you when you calm down!”

            “Your friend is a menace. What the hell are you laughing about you shitbird?” Ronan turned to Adam who was barely holding in his laughter. He pulled his boyfriend against him. He could feel the shake of Adam’s body as he tried not to laugh. With a strangled noise he finally let the laughter out with his face pressed against Ronan’s neck. He loved Adam’s laugh and would do anything to hear it. He loved every part of him. From the tips of his toes to the dusty uneven mop of hair on his head. He told him every night they slept curled together. He told him with every press of his lips to the freckles on Adam’s body. The first time he had said it, it had simply slipped out. He had been kneading bread dough in the kitchen of the café when Adam announced that he was going upstairs to sleep. It had been so simply to say _Goodnight, I love you._ It had felt so right. The dough was abandoned on the counter when Adam said it back. Instead he had followed him upstairs that night and made love to him. It was tender and sweet and if Ronan cried after no one could ever hold it against him. “You’re just as bad as he is.”

            “Noah is your friend.” Adam had managed to pull himself together with his face still pressed to Ronan’s neck. He was a little embarrassed that a house full of psychics had predicted his future but he was also overjoyed that he would get to be married to Ronan. He was going to be worthy of Ronan Lynch. He was going to be Adam Parrish-Lynch someday. The very thought made his stomach do summersaults. With great reluctance he pulled away from Ronan and led him into the sitting room so he could meet the others. “Please don’t be rude.”

            “Ronan!” Gansey offered his fist to him, a call back to their days at Aglionby. A laugh escaped him when Ronan pushed his arm out of the way and instead pulled him into a hug. He kept in touch with Ronan, as in touch as he could be when the man had an aversion to cellphones. They made sure to call each other on birthdays and he had even been there for the opening of Ronan’s café. Their communication had taken a drastic nose dive when Adam came into Ronan’s life. If he hadn’t heard through Blue that Ronan was alive and in love he would have been far more worried. “How have you been?”

            “Great, I’ve spent most of my free time with Adam. Sorry I’ve been kind of missing. Congratulations on the engagement.” Ronan smiled at Gansey as he pulled away from the hug. The smile was reminiscent of Ronan before Niall’s death and it made him happy to see it again. He had seen Ronan at his absolute worst where every phone call from Aurora had felt like the one that would tell Gansey he was dead. He had spent nights awake with a mix of insomnia and worry. He had even offered Ronan a room at Monmouth in the hopes that being away from The Barns would have helped him. As far as Ronan was concerned Gansey was his brother just as much as Declan and Matthew were. “Have you heard that apparently Adam and I are the hot topic of the house?”

            “I have, Mrs. Sargent is so excited to meet you. Just a warning Calla is a… strong woman.” Gansey clapped him on the shoulder in a show of support just as a woman’s voice called Adam’s name. Well she more sneered it but it still sounded affectionate. He turned just in time to see a larger woman with dark skin pull Adam into a hug which seemed to surprise him. He watched as her lips curled into a smile the moment she touched the shirt Adam was wearing. It had been one of Ronan’s that Adam had taken after an argument they had. He had called it his my-boyfriend-is-an-asshole tax. It had been their first argument and it had ended in Adam crying. Ronan had hated thinking he was the reason for Adam’s tears it had even kept him up that night. He hadn’t been, Adam had been tired and stressed over school but, that didn’t mean he couldn’t take a shirt for comfort. The moment he got a good look at her face he recognized her. She had done filing at Aglionby and was a nightmare if you had to see her for anything. She had hated Ronan and would always call him a snake.

            “So the snake has shed his skin. I would say you could do better Adam but I don’t think you would ever find someone that would love you as much as that one does.” Calla raised an eyebrow at Ronan when he visibly bristled at her words. Adam knew that was the best compliment he could ever get from Calla who hated everyone on principle alone. He also knew Ronan well enough to know the puff of pride to his chest at being called the best for Adam. “Do you have something to say to me Snake? I’ve seen the story behind this shirt and I’ve seen your future. You cry on your wedding day.”

            “Ronan do not say whatever you’re going to say.” Adam gave Ronan a look of warning before pulling away from Calla. He knew that if he didn’t stop Ronan now he would say something that would get him killed. He smiled softly when Ronan took his hand and laced their fingers together. He threw a fake smile at Calla trying to appease Adam. He didn’t want to fuck this up, he wanted to make a good impression on Adam’s family.  “Ronan this is Calla, she’s one of the women that helped raise me.”

            Ronan gave Calla a polite nod deciding it was best to keep his mouth shut. He raised an eyebrow before shaking her hand when she offered it. A complicated expression passed over her features before settling on a look of approval. With a final nod she turned and walked away. “That was… different.”

            “She has the ability of psychometry meaning she can see the origins of an object or person. She approved of you that’s really the best we could hope for.” Adam pressed a kiss to Ronan’s cheek before leading him into the kitchen where everyone else was gathered. He paused to introduce Ronan to everyone they passed. Including Orla who he had to drag Ronan away from. He smiled and hugged Maura when they finally reached her. “Maura, this is Ronan my boyfriend. Ronan, this is Blue’s mother Maura and her partner Dean.”  

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you Ronan Lynch, I’ve heard about you from Blue. I know your mother Aurora.” Maura offered her hand to Ronan as she gave him a once over. She knew of him from when Aurora had come for a reading during his troubled years. She had also seen a few things in her cards herself when she asked them if Adam was safe with him. It was out of habit because she worried about him. He had been so broken when he had moved in with them. He had come from a family that never loved him. She wanted him to know that he was worthy of love and she was happy Ronan would give that to him. “Dean and I would love to try your baking someday.”

            “We’ve heard from Blue that its delicious and with Maura’s pregnancy she’s been dying to try it.” Dean lightly caressed Maura’s stomach. There was enough love in the simple touch to make Ronan and Adam feel as though they were prying. He smiled his perfect straight toothed smile when Maura playfully elbowed him in the side. Adam had secretly envied their relationship when they first started dating. It hadn’t been a relationship he had ever seen before. He grew up in a broken home where love was never something that existed. He wanted that for himself and he had found it with Ronan. He was relieved that Ronan was on his best behaviour tonight.

            “I’ll make sure I stop by with some after I see my family. All of my baking is based on my mom’s recipes.” Ronan smiled politely. It was strange being in a house with women that seemed to know all about him without knowing a damn thing about them. It made him feel acutely aware of how desperately he wanted these people to like him. He wanted them to approve of his relationship with Adam. He wanted them to deem him as worthy of him. Worthy of spending the rest of his life with him. If this had been during his dark years he would have told them all to go fuck themselves, he wouldn’t have cared about being perfect for them because he already would have had Adam. He would have been dangerous not only to himself but to Adam as well. The old Ronan wouldn’t have been worthy of Adam Parrish. He wasn’t even worthy of himself. After a few more minutes of small talk Adam had led him away to give him a tour of the house.

            The rest of the party had passed by without incident. After his initial discomfort Ronan had actually had fun. He had even lost to Calla in an arm-wrestling match but redeemed himself when he won against Blue. Noah had shown them the colours he had picked for their wedding and told them about what had been seen by the psychics regarding their futures. It was hard for Ronan to accept the future that was predicted for him. He had grown up in such a devout home that to him this was all witch craft and sin. He did realize that he was the pot calling the kettle back by balking at the sinful nature. He lived his life in sin. It didn’t stop him from nodding along to the predictions because he knew Adam believed in them. He had seen Adam’s tarot cards. He had enjoyed the night and by the time he and Adam had left they had promised that they would stop by in a few days to help Dean with some renovating that needed to be done.

_When you found me I was all alone_  
_The whole world around me_  
_And nowhere to call home_  
_I heard your voice sing like heaven's choir_  
_Gathered up my fears and threw them in the fire_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics at the end of the chapter are from the song Sweet Love of Mine by Joy Williams. Her music is amazing.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed! Please leave kudos and comments to let me know what you thought. I will try to have the next chapter up sooner rather than later!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Wonderful Readers! Sorry I was kind of MIA for all of December! I had a few family things happen and then I got horrifically sick from like the 20th to the 2nd of January that came to a head when I ended up with the stomach flu on New Years Eve so I didn't even get to have any fun! I'm back in school so I'm going to try and keep up with everything including this fic and home work. I promise I won't just disappear again!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

            “Ronan, pal, it’s time to wake up!” Matthew’s voice was so cheerful it was impossible to be annoyed at him. He knocked repeatedly until finally Ronan opened his bedroom door. The smile on his face made Adam want to protect and take care of him. He had been warned by Ronan that Matthew would steal his heart. “Oh no! Did I wake Adam up?”

            “Of course you did, Shithead.” Even with his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face Adam could see the soft look in Ronan’s eyes as he talked to Matthew. It was just after six AM they had barely been asleep for five hours and yet neither of them were grumpy with the youngest Lynch. Even at the age of eighteen Matthew had a cherubic face framed by impossibly blond curls. He should have been intimidating given his height and build but he wasn’t. Instead he unlike his older brothers made people feel warm and happy. It was as though he himself influenced the emotions of those around him. He had always known just how to cheer people up and often if Declan and Ronan were getting particularly heated he would diffuse it before Aurora caught wind of it. “Since we’re already up anyway, Matthew, this is Adam Parrish. Parrish this is my little brother Matthew.”

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you Matthew, I’ll shake your hand when I’m more awake.” Adam was still curled up on Ronan’s bed. They had both slept in the clothes from the night before. The idea of changing when they made it to The Barns at one AM hadn’t been as pressing as the desire to sleep. Ronan hadn’t even given Adam a tour of the house aside from pointing out the bathroom as they passed it so he would know where it was. They would be staying here for the duration of their month in Henrietta because it had more space than 300 Fox Way. “Ronan and I will be down for breakfast as soon as we’ve changed.”

            “You don’t have to rush, mom’s just starting breakfast now and she’s making a lot because Ronan is home. I’m going to go help her!” Before Adam and Ronan could respond Matthew had left to help Aurora.

            “Is it weird that I want to adopt your little brother?” Adam stretched before reaching for Ronan. He wanted Ronan to come back to bed so they could cuddle for a bit longer. A disappointed sigh escaped him when the oldest Lynch brother knocked on the door. Objectively he was handsome. He had the same dark hair and blue eyes as Ronan did but his hair was longer and his jaw was wider. He looked every bit the politician that Ronan described him as. There was also a gentle warmth in his eyes when he saw Ronan. This seemed to surprise him as much as the sudden hug did. Ronan had told Adam that most of the touching that happened between the two growing up had been physically violent.

            “What the hell asshole, get off of me.” Ronan’s voice was sharp even as he hugged Declan back. This earned a true laugh from the elder Lynch, a sound that Ronan hadn’t heard since before Niall had died. A sound that tugged at his heart and made his chest feel tight. Sure he had heard Declan laugh at his stupid social events or when he was trying to flirt with some poor girl but it was never a real laugh. He hadn’t realized just how much he missed his family until he was home in Henrietta. “I’m not going to say I missed you if that’s what you’re hoping for. The only ones I missed are mom and Matthew.”

            “Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Declan pulled back and ran his hand over the fuzz on Ronan’s scalp affectionately. He was happy to see that Ronan was no longer fighting with his demons. He was happy that he had left Henrietta and found someone that loved him enough to make him want to come back. For the last three years Ronan had been refusing to come home. He had been adamant that the only things there for him where Declan, Matthew and Aurora and the three of them had no issues travelling to see him. He had been terrified that if Ronan did return he would fall back into old dangerous habits. It was part of why he had never pushed the topic during their weekly phone calls like Aurora and Matthew did. A part of him had always been afraid that Ronan would follow in Niall’s footsteps it was why he had never lied to him. Why he had been so hard on him. Why he was so terrified when Ronan had attempted suicide. Ronan didn’t really remember that night due to the combination of pills supplied by Kavinsky and the blood loss but Declan hadn’t left his side in the hospital.

            Declan had sat with him the whole night telling him stories that Niall used to tell them. He had wanted to bring comfort to Ronan after he had pushed him so hard for so long. Truthfully part of him had felt responsible. The night was full of ifs regarding his actions toward Ronan. _If I hadn’t pushed him so much. If I had shown him more support. If I had lied to him about dad._ In the end it hadn’t been his fault. He had only ever told Aurora about what he had thought that night. She had cried when she realized two of her sons were in so much pain and she hadn’t noticed. She had been taking care of Matthew who was inconsolable at the thought of Ronan almost dying. “I’m happy you’re home, you can finally congratulate Ashley and I on our engagement in person. Now are you going to introduce me to your boyfriend or are you still too cool for me?”

            “Adam this is my asshole of an older brother Declan, you’ll get to meet the poor girl he’s managed to shackle to him forever at breakfast probably. Dec this is Adam and yes I am still too cool for you.” Ronan smiled at Adam affectionately when he finally climbed out of bed. It was clear to both of them that if Declan and Matthew had already visited Aurora was sure to follow. He slipped his arm around Adam’s waist as he offered Declan his hand.

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you Declan. Ronan has told me a lot about you.” Adam politely shook Declan’s hand. He had only ever heard Ronan speak positively of his family barring the story of how he ended up spite raising Chainsaw. He would be lying if he said he didn’t want to make a good impression on all of the Lynches. If he was going to marry into their family one day he wanted them to approve of him. He wanted them to see him as worthy of Ronan as Ronan himself did. He knew logically that it wasn’t going to take much to earn their approval because he had already won over the most stubborn and impossible to please Lynch.

            “I’m sure it was all good things. I wanted to meet you one on one before you came down for breakfast. Mom and Matthew are going to ask you enough questions to feel like you’re being interrogated so be prepared for that.” Declan clapped Adam on the shoulder before going off in the direction of the stairs. The smell of food had begun to waft up from the kitchen accompanied by Matthew’s voice as he animatedly talked to Aurora. The sound of The Barns and its inhabitants filled Adam with the same warm feeling as the noises of 300 Fox Way. He felt at home here.

                                                            ---

            At the sound of Ronan and Adam’s feet on the edge of the kitchen tile Aurora Lynch turned toward them. Her smile was like sunshine, it made Adam feel like he could never do anything to disappoint her. It brought an impossible warmth to the winter morning. In that moment Aurora Lynch herself was the warmth of a summer sun and the comfort of a mother’s love with nothing but a smile. He envied the Lynch brothers. Their mother was an angel on earth. She loved her sons and she would love whomever they chose to love. He doubted she had ever raised a hand toward them or sworn directly at them. There was no doubt in his mind that this woman he had never met would do everything in her power to make him feel as though he had always belonged. He wasn’t worthy of this family. She was everything his mother had never been and everything the women at 300 Fox Way had tried to be. Her golden hair was piled on top of her head as a way of keeping it out of the food she was making. She herself barely looked old enough to have three mostly grown sons. “Oh Ronan and Adam, welcome home.”

            In that moment so many emotions warred within Ronan. He wanted to run to his mother and hug her like he had when he was a child. He wanted to cry now that he knew just how badly he had missed her while he was gone. Home, he was finally home and it did feel like home. For the first time since Niall’s death and his downward spiral that followed he felt at home in this house. Adam had become his home for the time being. Ronan opened his mouth and closed it again with a clack of his teeth. He couldn’t trust his voice. He knew that if he spoke he would break. It would crack and he would be a mess of tears. With a controlled breath he managed to stop his voice from completely shattering on the three letters. “Mom.”

            “Oh my sweet boy, don’t cry. You’re home now.” Aurora carefully brushed Ronan’s tears away before pulling her middle son into a hug. The love in the embrace was enough to make Adam turn away and feel as though he was prying. His chest clenched at the sound of Ronan’s sniffles as Aurora held him. He would never truly understand the way Ronan was feeling and he didn’t know how to deal with that realization. He was deep enough in thought that it startled him when Aurora pulled him into a hug. A hug that much like her smile filled him with a warmth that he had never felt before. “It’s so lovely to meet you Adam. I’m glad you could come home with Ronan.”

            “Thank you for inviting me, Ma’am.” Adam’s voice cracked as he spoke. He wanted to push Aurora away. Her easy affection was too much for him. It made him feel as though the other shoe was waiting to drop. Like he would sit down at the breakfast table and be told that none of them ever wanted to see him again. He was the colour of the Henrietta dirt and he didn’t deserve to be within the Lynch family castle. Before he even had the chance to realize that he was crying Aurora had pulled back to carefully wipe his tears away. He would chalk it up to being tired but he knew that was a lie. He yearned for a mother that cared for him. He had spent years pushing it away and accepting that he would never get that and now he wanted it. Now he wished he had been loved enough to have his parents attend his graduation and cheer as he walked across the stage. He wished he had been loved right from his birth and never once treated as less than. He wished for the life his friends had wanted for him.

            “Dear Adam, thank you for making my Ronan so happy. I’ve heard so much about you already I feel like you’re one of my own sons.” Aurora smiled softly. Every week since Ronan and Adam had met that was all she had heard about from her middle son. Every word out of his mouth had started with Adam. She truly felt as though Adam was part of the family given how much she knew about him. It had been horribly sad when she had connected his last name to the awful things Robert Parrish had done to him. She was happy that he was safe and loved with Ronan now. Of course she had conferred with the women of 300 Fox Way and was looking forward to the future wedding. She couldn’t wait for Adam to become a Lynch and leave behind any connection to Robert. He deserved a family. “Now boys go sit down so we can all eat breakfast.”

            As they sat Adam noticed the presence of another woman. She was blonde and sat on Declan’s right side, their hands clasped together on the table. Her eyes were calculating as she watched Aurora serve breakfast. It wasn’t predatory in the slightest but it was obvious that she was taking in every movement to retain for later. When her gazed turned to Adam it felt as though she could see into his very soul. He could tell from that look that she was smarter than she let on and was no doubt a great asset to Declan’s political career. She smiled warmly, the act of smiling transformed her face completely. She no longer looked like a predator stalking its prey. If anything the smile made her even prettier than she had already been. “I’m Ashley, Declan’s fiancée. It’s lovely to meet you.”

            “I’m Adam, Ronan’s boyfriend.” Adam dipped his head in a polite nod. He could feel Ronan watching him. He could always feel Ronan’s eyes on him, it helped him feel grounded. His ears burned hot when Ronan pressed a kiss to his cheek. Aurora smiled warmly at them as she watched them. It was different having Ronan be affectionate in front of his family. A laugh escaped him when he felt the scrape of stubble on his shirt when Ronan nuzzled into him. “Ro, you’re being embarrassing.”

            “You’re here with my family and I want you to know I love you.” Ronan’s voice was soft as he leaned into Adam. He smiled when Matthew cheered him on. It was relaxing being home. He wished they never had to leave. He laughed when Adam wiped partially melted whipped cream from the pancakes on his plate onto his nose. “You’re such a little shit head.”

            “Your food is getting cold boys.” Aurora teased them lightly as she watched them. They reminded her of the way Niall used to be with her. They were all tender care and love. It was beautiful to see Ronan being gentle and sweet with someone. Niall had been the same with her it was truly just another mark in the column of Ronan being exactly like him. She was so proud of both of them for finding each other. “So Adam, Ronan said you’re going to school to get your Masters in Linguistics. How is that?”

            “I don’t start my Masters until September as I’m finishing my Bachelors. It’s great though, I want to use it to look at why languages that have been lost over time and how we as a society can bring them back. Ronan treats Latin as our own secret language, usually to tell horrible jokes.” Adam picked at his breakfast fielding the questions that Aurora and Matthew asked him all through breakfast. Matthew mostly wanted to know if Adam would live at The Barns when he was finished school. It felt good to know that Matthew liked him enough to want him to come back. Aurora delved deeper into his schooling, she knew that chances are Adam wouldn’t be able to find linguistic work in Henrietta, Virginia. Although the questions did make him think of ways that he could work remotely. He was home here, it was so good to be home.

 

 

 _Welcome home_  
_Welcome home_  
_It's so good to see your face_  
_Welcome home_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! You know what to do :)
> 
> The Lyrics at the end of this chapter are from the song Welcome Home by Joy Williams.
> 
> I have bumped up the rating from Teen to Mature because eventually they're going to have to do The Sex.


End file.
